“Using the Common Chord to Encourage Student Leaders in the Music Classroom”

The leaders of tomorrow should be leading in their classrooms today. I encourage my students to be the best versions of themselves during the entire school day. I teach and live in a community where I get to see my students interact with each other and parents outside the classroom. I also make it a point to walk the halls of my school before school and during my conference period to visit with teachers and students as they are learning in their general classrooms. This “outside of the music classroom” interaction allows me to build relationships with the students and learn how they are developing as leaders in and out of the school setting. 

Students interact and behave differently when they are sitting behind a desk than they do when they have more freedom of their personal space as in P.E., Art, and Music classes. I understand that these specialty classes do have structured expectations of where to sit and how to enter the room or gym, but the environment is very different than the one with four walls and 25+ desks. I remind my students that I have the same expectations of their parents and other teachers have and that they should be the best version of themselves at all times. 

I have begun reminding my students to always put their best foot forward when interacting with each other and performing musical selections. I want them to understand that mistakes happen in music and that the most important part of a mistake is how they react to it. In music, as in life, we can learn from our mistakes and must continue to keep moving forward despite a fumbled rhythm or high pitched squeak. 

The difference is amazing when I ask for students to volunteer as leaders to direct the class or lead sections during folk songs that can be sung in canon. The students really focus on their peer leaders and hands fly up when I am seeking the next volunteer. I also allow students to tutor other students during class and before school when working on new songs on the recorder and chords on ukuleles.

                                        Be the best musician you can be! 

I tell my students that they are musicians and that they should always sing and play as if they are performing on stage and in front of an audience. I believe that the most important part of a musical experience is the process and not the outcome. The outcome will be successful if the time is taken to build common chords one note at a time and students are reminded that they are the leaders of today! 

  

"NCLB: Neoclassicism, Chopin, Lieder, Beethoven=My Music Room Policy"

Teaching Students the Gift of Lifelong Learning and Grit

One of my goals this school year has been to inspire and enable my students to be lifelong learners and develop character traits that will benefit them for a lifetime. I am an elementary music teacher and I teach approximately 725 students per week. I have the opportunity to help develop the character of over 700 students on a weekly basis. This is a choice! I could easily only teach the required scope and sequence for each music class and not once discuss character or the importance of questioning what we learn, but I feel that would not be teaching the whole child.  

It was not until I had children of my own that I began to realize the importance of character development. I have three boys and I am also learning and growing on a daily basis as I see the world through the eyes of a 6 yr old, 4 yr old, and a 3 week old. The last few weeks have opened up an entirely new paradigm for me as I have been able to witness my 6 yr old take on a leadership role in the household as the oldest sibling. I had not realized how much impact a new born baby could have on my two older children. Their behavior and character seemed to change overnight, both good and bad. 

I must admit that sometimes I see the not so great character traits that I have taken on as a parent being imitated by my own children. If we expect our children and students to demonstrate patience and always use kind words, then we should model that for them on a daily basis. I often remind myself of the idiom “It’s no use crying over spilled milk.”, as I feel myself beginning to get upset and show emotion about the next mess that is inevitably going to occur. 

I also face the daily challenge of not being a “helicopter” parent/teacher. I believe it is very important to allow children to make mistakes, so they can learn from them. The learning opportunities that arise from making mistakes are detrimental to developing character. It is very easy to step in and protect our children when we know they are about to make a mistake. Let them make mistakes! I know this easier said than done, but our children and students must learn how to solve problems and fix mistakes at an early age. The learning opportunities that will arise from not being perfect or not being the winner will go a long way to developing character and teaching perseverance. 

My personal goal for the year has been to focus on one word. My one word is “Grit”. Grit is defined as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals”. It is my hope that I can teach my own children and students the importance of having perseverance and passion for their personal goals. My plan is to spend the next year blogging on the impact grit can have on character development and lifelong learning.

For a better understanding of “grit”, please view the following TED Talk by Angela Lee Duckworth:

Angela Lee Duckworth: The key to success? Grit

http://www.ted.com/talks/angela_lee_duckworth_the_key_to_success_grit.html